Daniel Edward Craig has worked in hotels for 20 years, ranging from front desk agent to vice president. He now works as a hospitality consultant specializing in social media and reputation management. He discusses why storytelling is important for innkeepers, providing examples of small properties that effectively capture attention and set expectations through simple stories. Craig emphasizes using elements like setting, characters, theme, audience and plot to engage travelers through various social media platforms, while monitoring reviews to manage one's online reputation.

1. Social Media,
Storytelling Daniel Edward Craig
and the Author &
Hospitality Consultant
Innkeeper
PAII Innkeeping
Conference
January 12, 2011

2. 1.About me
Overview 2.What makes a good story?
3.Why tell stories?
4.Storytelling elements
5.Resources
6.Reputation management
7.Key takeaways
8.Questions & comments

3. I’ve worked in
hotels for twenty
About me years in positions
ranging from
front desk agent
By to vice president
Daniel Edward Craig

4. In 2002 I opened Opus Hotel
in Vancouver as director of
sales and marketing. This is my
office. Okay, maybe not.
It’s the penthouse suite.

5. Under leadership,
Opus was voted one
of the World’s Best
100 Hotels. I take
full credit. But in
reality it was a team
effort … mostly in
spite of me.

6. I published the first of
hotel-based three mystery
Five-Star Mystery Series novels in 2007.
My main character is a hotel
manager.

7. HOTEL MANAGER WRITER
I left my job as hotel
manager to focus on
writing.
It was a tough transition.

8. Now I work as a consultant specializing in
social media & reputation management
for the lodging industry. Social media
allows me to combine my backgrounds as
a hotelier, marketer and author because
it’s all about storytelling, n’est-ce pas?

9. What makes
a good story?

10. “Good storytelling
makes people sit up
and listen. Corey Torrence
CEO
It is worthy of their AMP/Beantown Toys
attention, worth
remembering and
retelling.”
It’s not enough to have a good
story. It needs to be well told

11. Why do 1.Capture attention
2.Convert travelers
innkeepers 3.Set expectations
4.Stand out
want to tell 5.Manage reputation
stories?

12. The more interesting and relevant
the content you publish, the more
traffic you drive to your website
and social media channels.
What’s your story?

13. 1.Setting (location,
history)
Storytelling 2.Characters (you & staff)
3.Theme (style of
Elements property)
4.Audience (guests &
prospects)
5.Plot (experience)
6.Conflict?

14. Storytelling Resources
But ...

15. Who has time?

16. Social media requires discipline. Always ask yourself, is this
important and relevant? If not, move on.
I’m going to show you a few examples of good storytelling
from small properties.
No big-budget marketing campaigns here. Just simple ideas
that capture attention, convert travelers and set expectations.
All for (almost) free. And not much of your time.

17. Setting – History
This is the website of One
Grafton Street in
Charlottetown, PEI.
People stay at small
properties in part because
they want a sense of history
and place.

18. Setting – Location
Fort Putney Road in
Brattleboro, VT has an
interactive map that shows
activity icons and a
satellite view, so travelers
know exactly where they
are and what’s around.
All for free from Google.

19. Setting – the Destination
What kind of
experience would you
expect here? Images are
powerful. We explored
the very visual blog
from Hopton House in
Shropshire, England.

20. Setting – the Destination
Fort Putney Road runs
a separate blog that
promotes its
destination.

21. Characters – The Innkeepers
Travelers want to know who they’re sleeping with.
Doesn’t this make you want to hang out with Tim and Amy?

22. Characters – The Innkeepers
If you’re in the witness protection program you can tell your story without
photos. Like the owners of La Basse Cour in Normandy, France.

23. Theme – Environment
The environment
is important at
Hopton House.

24. Audience – Guests & Travelers
Remember, travelers
want to know how
they will fit into your
story. One Grafton
Street’s blog never
forgets this.

25. Audience – Guests & Travelers
Facebook is a
great platform
for slices of life
like this.

26. Plot – The Experience
This video is far from
slick, but it was made
in minutes and
supports the property’s
positioning: “spacious,
clean, budget
accommodation.”

27. Plot – The Experience
This video from Happy
Day Bed & Breakfast in
Italy is not even really a
video. It’s animated
stills with music.
Made in a snap.

28. Promotions
Travelers want info but
don’t want to be sold to.
Here’s a creative way to
do both on Twitter, from
40 Bay Street B&B in
Parry Sound, ON.

29. Guestsourcing
Out of content ideas?
Search for guest
content. It’s out there.
Hotel consultant
Josiah Mackenzie calls
it “guestsourcing”.
Go!
This woman found all
sorts of images on
Flickr for her blog
without snapping or
paying for one.

30. Stories from Guests
Of course, the
most compelling
stories come from
your guests.

31. Stories from Guests
B&B Smart in
Rome scanned
postcards from
guests to its
website.

32. Stories from Guests
Increasingly, travelers
turn to other
travelers for advice.
Make it easy for them
with TripAdvisor
widgets and feeds.

33. Plot – The Experience
When a guest says
something you want
to highlight, post it to
your Facebook page

34. Instant Personalization
Increasingly, travelers
are turning to their
social graphs for advice.
With TripAdvisor’sTrip
Friends Facebook
application, friend
activity comes up first.

35. Prominence of reviews in search
Reviews are
more prominent
than ever in
search.

36. Storytelling 1. Monitor
2. Respond
& 3. Share
Reputation 4. Encourage
5. Be remarkable
Management
By encouraging guests to share, telling great stories and being
remarkable we build a favorable online reputation.

37. Key takeaways
1.Good stories capture attention, are memorable and
worth retelling
2.Innkeepers have great stories to share
3.Social media facilitates the telling & sharing of stories
4.Save time with new, easy-to-use storytelling tools
5.Guestsource content & encourage sharing
6.Manage your reputation by participating in storytelling
7.Be “remarkable”
The Coles Notes version.

38. For more info
www.DanielEdwardCraig.com

39. At the end I gave
away a copy of my
third book, Murder The End
at Graverly Manor,
which caused an
enormous amount
of excitement.